University of Virginia Library

6. CHAPTER VI.

The leading particulars of this narration were all that
Augustus communicated to me while we remained near
the box. It was not until afterward that he entered
fully into all the details. He was apprehensive of being
missed, and I was wild with impatience to leave my detested
place of confinement. We resolved to make our
way at once to the hole in the bulkhead, near which I
was to remain for the present, while he went through to
reconnoitre. To leave Tiger in the box was what
neither of us could endure to think of; yet, how to act
otherwise was the question. He now seemed to be
perfectly quiet, and we could not even distinguish the
sound of his breathing upon applying our ears closely to
the box. I was convinced that he was dead, and determined
to open the door. We found him lying at full
length, apparently in a deep stupor, yet still alive. No
time was to be lost, yet I could not bring myself to
abandon an animal who had now been twice instrumental
in saving my life, without some attempt at preserving
him. We therefore dragged him along with us as
well as we could, although with the greatest difficulty
and fatigue; Augustus, during part of the time, being
forced to clamber over the impediments in our way with
the huge dog in his arms—a feat to which the feebleness
of my frame rendered me totally inadequate. At length
we succeeded in reaching the hole, when Augustus got
through, and Tiger was pushed in afterward. All was
found to be safe, and we did not fail to return sincere
thanks to God for our deliverance from the imminent
danger we had escaped. For the present it was agreed
that I should remain near the opening, through which
my companion could readily supply me with a part of
his daily provision, and where I could have the advantages
of breathing an atmosphere comparatively pure.

In explanation of some portions of this narrative
wherein I have spoken of the stowage of the brig, and
which may appear ambiguous to some of my readers
who may have seen a proper or regular stowage, I must
here state that the manner in which this most important
duty had been performed on board the Grampus was a
most shameful piece of neglect on the part of Captain
Barnard, who was by no means as careful or as experienced
a seaman as the hazardous nature of the service
on which he was employed would seem necessarily to
demand. A proper stowage cannot be accomplished in
a careless manner, and many most disastrous accidents,
even within the limits of my own experience, have arisen
from neglect or ignorance in this particular. Coasting
vessels, in the frequent hurry and bustle attendant upon
taking in or discharging cargo, are the most liable to
mishap from the want of a proper attention to stowage.
The great point is to allow no possibility of the cargo or
ballast's shifting position even in the most violent rollings
of the vessel. With this end, great attention must be
paid, not only to the bulk taken in, but to the nature of
the bulk, and whether there be a full or only a partial
cargo. In most kinds of freight the stowage is accomplished
by means of a screw. Thus, in a load of tobacco
or flour, the whole is screwed so tightly into the
hold of the vessel that the barrels or hogsheads upon
discharging are found to be completely flattened, and
take some time to regain their original shape. This
screwing, however, is resorted to principally with a view
of obtaining more room in the hold; for in a full load of
any such commodities as flour or tobacco, there can be
no danger of any shifting whatever, at least none from
which inconvenience can result. There have been instances,
indeed, where this method of screwing has resulted
in the most lamentable consequences, arising from
a cause altogether distinct from the danger attendant
upon a shifting of cargo. A load of cotton, for example,
tightly screwed while in certain conditions, has
been known, through the expansion of its bulk, to rend
a vessel asunder at sea. There can be no doubt, either,

that the same result would ensue in the case of tobacco,
while undergoing its usual course of fermentation, were
it not for the interstices consequent upon the rotundity of
the hogsheads.

It is when a partial cargo is received that danger is
chiefly to be apprehended from shifting, and that precautions
should be always taken to guard against such misfortune.
Only those who have encountered a violent
gale of wind, or, rather, who have experienced the rolling
of a vessel in a sudden calm after the gale, can form an
idea of the tremendous force of the plunges, and of the
consequent terrible impetus given to all loose articles in
the vessel. It is then that the necessity of a cautious
stowage, when there is a partial cargo, becomes obvious.
When lying to (especially with a small head sail), a
vessel which is not properly modelled in the bows is
frequently thrown upon her beam-ends; this occurring
even every fifteen or twenty minutes upon an average,
yet without any serious consequences resulting, provided
there be a proper stowage. If this, however, has not
been strictly attended to, in the first of these heavy
lurches the whole of the cargo tumbles over to the side
of the vessel which lies upon the water, and, being thus
prevented from regaining her equilibrium, as she would
otherwise necessarily do, she is certain to fill in a few
seconds and go down. It is not too much to say that
at least one half of the instances in which vessels have
foundered in heavy gales at sea may be attributed to a
shifting of cargo or of ballast.

When a partial cargo of any kind is taken on board,
the whole, after being first stowed as compactly as may
be, should be covered with a layer of stout shifting-boards,
extending completely across the vessel. Upon
these boards strong temporary stanchions should be
erected, reaching to the timbers above, and thus securing
everything in its place. In cargoes consisting of grain,
or any similar matter, additional precautions are requisite.
A hold filled entirely with grain upon leaving
port will be found not more than three fourths full upon
reaching its destination—this, too, although the freight,

when measured bushel by bushel by the consignee, will
overrun by a vast deal (on account of the swelling of the
grain) the quantity consigned. This result is occasioned
by settling during the voyage, and is the more perceptible
in proportion to the roughness of the weather experienced.
If grain loosely thrown in a vessel, then, is
ever so well secured by shifting-boards and stanchions,
it will be liable to shift in a long passage so greatly as
to bring about the most distressing calamities. To prevent
these, every method should be employed before
leaving port to settle the cargo as much as possible;
and for this there are many contrivances, among which
may be mentioned the driving of wedges into the grain.
Even after all this is done, and unusual pains taken to
secure the shifting-boards, no seaman who knows what
he is about will feel altogether secure in a gale of any
violence with a cargo of grain on board, and, least of all,
with a partial cargo. Yet there are hundreds of our
coasting vessels, and, it is likely, many more from the
ports of Europe, which sail daily with partial cargoes,
even of the most dangerous species, and without any
precautions whatever. The wonder is that no more accidents
occur than do actually happen. A lamentable
instance of this heedlessness occurred to my knowledge
in the case of Captain Joel Rice of the schooner Fire-fly,
which sailed from Richmond, Virginia, to Madeira,
with a cargo of corn, in the year 1825. The captain
had gone many voyages without serious accident, although
he was in the habit of paying no attention whatever
to his stowage, more than to secure it in the ordinary
manner. He had never before sailed with a cargo
of grain, and on this occasion had the corn thrown on
board loosely, when it did not much more than half fill
the vessel. For the first portion of the voyage he met
with nothing more than light breezes; but when within
a day's sail of Madeira there came on a strong gale
from the N. N. E. which forced him to lie to. He
brought the schooner to the wind under a double-reefed
foresail alone, when she rode as well as any vessel
could be expected to do, and shipped not a drop of water.
Towards night the gale somewhat abated, and she rolled
with more unsteadiness than before, but still did very
well, until a heavy lurch threw her upon her beam-ends
to starboard. The corn was then heard to shift bodily,
the force of the movement bursting open the main hatchway.
The vessel went down like a shot. This happened
within hail of a small sloop from Madeira, which
picked up one of the crew (the only person saved), and
which rode out the gale in perfect security, as indeed a
jollyboat might have done under proper management.

The stowage on board the Grampus was most clumsily
done, if stowage that could be called which was little
better than a promiscuous huddling together of oil-casks[1]
and ship furniture. I have already spoken of the condition
of articles in the hold. On the orlop deck there
was space enough for my body (as I have stated) between
the oil-casks and the upper deck; a space was
left open around the main hatchway; and several other
large spaces were left in the stowage. Near the hole
cut through the bulkhead by Augustus there was room
enough for an entire cask, and in this space I found
myself comfortably situated for the present.

By the time my friend had got safely into the berth,
and readjusted his handcuffs and the rope, it was broad
daylight. We had made a narrow escape indeed; for
scarcely had he arranged all matters, when the mate
came below, with Dirk Peters and the cook. They talked
for some time about the vessel from the Cape Verds, and
seemed to be excessively anxious for her appearance.
At length the cook came to the berth in which Augustus
was lying, and seated himself in it near the head. I
could see and hear everything from my hiding-place, for
the piece cut out had not been put back, and I was in
momentary expectation that the negro would fall against
the pea-jacket, which was hung up to conceal the aperture,
in which case all would have been discovered, and
our lives would, no doubt, have been instantly sacrificed.
Our good fortune prevailed, however; and although he

frequently touched it as the vessel rolled, he never
pressed against it sufficiently to bring about a discovery.
The bottom of the jacket had been carefully fastened to
the bulkhead, so that the hole might not be seen by its
swinging to one side. All this time Tiger was lying in
the foot of the berth, and appeared to have recovered in
some measure his faculties, for I could see him occasionally
open his eyes and draw a long breath.

After a few minutes the mate and cook went above,
leaving Dirk Peters behind, who, as soon as they were
gone, came and sat himself down in the place just occupied
by the mate. He began to talk very sociably with
Augustus, and we could now see that the greater part of
his apparent intoxication, while the two others were with
him, was a feint. He answered all my companion's
questions with perfect freedom; told him that he had no
doubt of his father's having been picked up, as there
were no less than five sail in sight just before sundown
on the day he was cut adrift; and used other language
of a consolatory nature, which occasioned me no less
surprise than pleasure. Indeed, I began to entertain
hopes, that through the instrumentality of Peters we
might be finally enabled to regain possession of the brig,
and this idea I mentioned to Augustus as soon as I
found an opportunity. He thought the matter possible,
but urged the necessity of the greatest caution in making
the attempt, as the conduct of the hybrid appeared to be
instigated by the most arbitrary caprice alone; and, indeed,
it was difficult to say if he was at any moment of
sound mind. Peters went upon deck in about an hour,
and did not return again until noon, when he brought
Augustus a plentiful supply of junk beef and pudding.
Of this, when we were left alone, I partook heartily,
without returning through the hole. No one else came
down into the forecastle during the day, and at night I got
into Augustus's berth, where I slept soundly and sweetly
until nearly daybreak, when he awakened me upon hearing
a stir upon deck, and I regained my hiding-place as quickly
as possible. When the day was fully broke, we found that
Tiger had recovered his strength almost entirely, and gave

no indications of hydrophobia, drinking a little water that
was offered him with great apparent eagerness. During the
day he regained all his former vigour and appetite. His
strange conduct had been brought on, no doubt, by the deleterious
quality of the air of the hold, and had no connexion
with canine madness. I could not sufficiently rejoice
that I had persisted in bringing him with me from the
box. This day was the thirtieth of June, and the thirteenth
since the Grampus made sail from Nantucket.

On the second of July the mate came below, drunk as
usual, and in an excessively good-humour. He came to
Augustus's berth, and, giving him a slap on the back,
asked him if he thought he could behave himself if he
let him loose, and whether he would promise not to be
going into the cabin again. To this, of course, my friend
answered in the affirmative, when the ruffian set him at
liberty, after making him drink from a flask of rum
which he drew from his coat-pocket. Both now went
on deck, and I did not see Augustus for about three
hours. He then came below with the good news that
he had obtained permission to go about the brig as he
pleased anywhere forward of the mainmast, and that he
had been ordered to sleep, as usual, in the forecastle.
He brought me, too, a good dinner, and a plentiful supply
of water. The brig was still cruising for the vessel from
the Cape Verds, and a sail was now in sight which was
thought to be the one in question. As the events of the
ensuing eight days were of little importance, and had no
direct bearing upon the main incidents of my narrative, I
will here throw them into the form of a journal, as I do
not wish to omit them altogether.

July 3. Augustus furnished me with three blankets,
with which I contrived a comfortable bed in my hiding-place.
No one came below, except my companion, during
the day. Tiger took his station in the berth just by
the aperture, and slept heavily, as if not yet entirely recovered
from the effects of his sickness. Towards
night a flaw of wind struck the brig before sail could be
taken in, and very nearly capsized her. The puff died
away immediately, however, and no damage was done

beyond the splitting of the foretopsail. Dirk Peters
treated Augustus all this day with great kindness, and
entered into a long conversation with him respecting the
Pacific Ocean, and the islands he had visited in that region.
He asked him whether he would not like to go
with the mutineers on a kind of exploring and pleasure
voyage in those quarters, and said that the men were
gradually coming over to the mate's views. To this
Augustus thought it best to reply that he would be glad
to go on such an adventure, since nothing better could be
done, and that anything was preferable to a piratical
life.

July 4th. The vessel in sight proved to be a small
brig from Liverpool, and was allowed to pass unmolested.
Augustus spent most of his time on deck, with a
view of obtaining all the information in his power respecting
the intentions of the mutineers. They had frequent
and violent quarrels among themselves, in one of
which a harpooner, Jim Bonner, was thrown overboard.
The party of the mate was gaining ground. Jim Bonner
belonged to the cook's gang, of which Peters was a partisan.

July 5th. About daybreak there came on a stiff
breeze from the west, which at noon freshened into a
gale, so that the brig could carry nothing more than her
trysail and foresail. In taking in the foretopsail, Simms,
one of the common hands, and belonging also to the
cook's gang, fell overboard, being very much in liquor,
and was drowned—no attempt being made to save him.
The whole number of persons on board was now thirteen,
to wit: Dirk Peters; Seymour, the black cook;
—Jones; —Greely; Hartman Rogers; and William
Allen, of the cook's party; the mate, whose name
I never learned; Absalom Hicks; — Wilson; John
Hunt; and Richard Parker, of the mate's party—besides
Augustus and myself.

July 6th. The gale lasted all this day, blowing in
heavy squalls, accompanied with rain. The brig took in
a good deal of water through her seams, and one of the
pumps was kept continually going, Augustus being

forced to take his turn. Just at twilight a large ship
passed close by us, without having been discovered until
within hail. This ship was supposed to be the one for
which the mutineers were on the look-out. The mate
hailed her, but the reply was drowned in the roaring of
the gale. At eleven, a sea was shipped amid-ships,
which tore away a great portion of the larboard bulwarks,
and did some other slight damage. Towards
morning the weather moderated, and at sunrise there
was very little wind.

July 7th. There was a heavy swell running all this
day, during which the brig, being light, rolled excessively,
and many articles broke loose in the hold, as I
could hear distinctly from my hiding-place. I suffered
a great deal from sea-sickness. Peters had a long conversation
this day with Augustus, and told him that two
of his gang, Greely and Allen, had gone over to the
mate, and were resolved to turn pirates. He put several
questions to Augustus which he did not then exactly understand.
During a part of this evening the leak gained
upon the vessel; and little could be done to remedy it,
as it was occasioned by the brig's straining, and taking
in the water through her seams. A sail was thrummed,
and got under the bows, which aided us in some measure,
so that we began to gain upon the leak.

July 8th. A light breeze sprung up at sunrise from
the eastward, when the mate headed the brig to the
southwest, with the intention of making some of the
West India islands, in pursuance of his piratical designs.
No opposition was made by Peters or the cook; at least
none in the hearing of Augustus. All idea of taking the
vessel from the Cape Verds was abandoned. The leak
was now easily kept under by one pump going every
three quarters of an hour. The sail was drawn from
beneath the bows. Spoke two small schooners during
the day.

July 9th. Fine weather. All hands employed in repairing
bulwarks. Peters had again a long conversation
with Augustus, and spoke more plainly than he had
done heretofore. He said nothing should induce him to

come into the mate's views, and even hinted his intention
of taking the brig out of his hands. He asked my
friend if he could depend upon his aid in such case, to
which Augustus said, “Yes,” without hesitation. Peters
then said he would sound the others of his party
upon the subject, and went away. During the remainder
of the day Augustus had no opportunity of speaking
with him privately.